The French Open, or rather the Roland-Garros tournament, as it is known to Franco -phones and -philes, is in full swing and its outcome, for the first time in several years, is totally speculative.
Tsonga is out with an injry (sorry JJ, I know he’s your favorite player). Djokovic is confidently coming off a victory at the Australian Open and no longer the new kid on the block. After a very lackluster performance at the U.S. Open, Nadal seems back in full force. And of course, as always, there’s the Federer factor. Is he going to beat his losing streak at the French Open, which he has never won? I am almost biting my nails in excitement.
On the women’side, it’s wide open as well (please no dirty jokes). The powerhouse Henin is gone. Poor Marion Bartoli was upset early (her father is probably making her walk on her knees as we speak). Serena is off which people are making seem like it’s a huge upset but come on, her head is NOT in the game, hasn’t been in a while (too many boyfriend troubles I guess) and it shows. I believe at the time I am writing this Venus is the lone American left. I admire her a lot, what a tremendous athlete. Now that’s someone whose head is in the game. Last year in January 2007, she text messaged her coach saying she was going to win the U.S. Open. Seven months later, she proved it magnificently in New York. Jelena Jankovic looks poised to give anyone in her way a hard time. Sharapova, the number one seeded after Henin retired, only squeezed past the first round by the hair of her chinny-chin-chin.
It’s starting to get exciting again. I remember as a kid watching Roland Garros in the eighties. Maaaaan. I am probably a bit too nostalgic but come on. The showdowns between Lendl and McEnroe. Martina Navaratilova against Chris Evert. Boom Boom Becker stunning everyone. Yannick Noah’s emotional win. Kinda the golden era don’t you think? (I know people are going to jump down my throat because to many, the seventies were the ultimate in tennis, and they are probably right, but hey I wasn’t born!)
After the eighties, I kinda lost interest in tennis. Not that weren’t great players involved, like Agassi, Sampras, Seles, Sabatini, and Graf, and of course the Williams sisters. I don’t know why, it just wasn’t as dramatic though. I read McEnroe’s bio, and of course he blames it on the powers that be (shocker, I know).
I am definitely looking forward to the resolution of this Grand Slam. I would love to see Federer win Roland Garros finally. I am not one of those who subscribe to the point of view that he is just another boring Swiss. Those people did not see a young Federer play, full of rage, slammin his tennis racket on the floor again and again until it broke, prompting an older and wiser Boris Becker to tell the scout who had taken him to the game to check out Federer to call him back when the kid had regained his mental health 🙂 Federer has just as much if not more passion for the game as any of the players. It’s just that he has achieved a zen like quality, a sang froid that allows him to study his opponent, often losing to him in the first round because he is busy analyzing him, and then wiping the floor with him. A final involving either Nadal or Djokovic would be a great spectacle.
Yes, I am a big Djokovic fan (sorry again, JJ, I know you don’t approve). All those Serbian kids, Novak, Jelena, Ana have really won me over. Anyone who manages to train for tennis in an empty Olympic size swimming pool while NATO bombs are dropped on their tiny heads is okay in my book. And of course there are all those funny stories about Djokovic’s parents running the pizza and pancake themed restaurant, or his sweetly mocking impressions of his fellow tennis players. Heck I even like their karaoke!
Whatever happens, it will be an exciting tournament, for sure! I can’t wait…
